Hunters of the Night
by Kid Sinister
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto went missing six years ago at the age of sixteen. He left behind a pregnant Hinata and the bodies of an entire village. Why?


It had been raining for the last week. He _hated_ the rain. It made things unnecessarily hard. It washed away scents, trails, and evidence. That and the grey skies eventually started to depress him. His gravity defying silver hair had started to slump a little, unused to the added weight of the falling water. Kakashi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. His years in ANBU had gotten him used to the wetness and the cold, but he was still uncomfortable. He had just returned from a small mission with his team. A simple mission really, just delivering an important document to one of the other smaller villages near Konoha. Nothing worthy of himself and his team of chunin. In fact, if he didn't know for a fact that the current Hokage, Tsunade of the Sannin, was punishing him for his chronic tardiness, he would say it was work fit for a squad of new genin.

He had no idea what he was doing in the middle of nowhere, searching for god knows who, in the middle of a rain storm. It also didn't help that his team consisting of his two chunin students, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke, were currently making suggestive glances toward each other. As much as they tried to hide it, Kakashi wasn't one of the greatest ninja alive for nothing. Honestly he didn't even have to try to see. He sighed again; this rain was really starting to grate on his nerves. The constant pitter-patter of the free falling liquid was irritating to his ninja ears. It didn't help that Sasuke had gotten bolder in his personal mission to make Sakura his. Her school girl giggling was not helping his growing headache either.

Deciding he had enough, he was going to send them on ahead. They were only two miles out in the surrounding forests of Konoha, and if they couldn't make their way back to the village, they weren't worthy of their chunin vests.

"Sakura, Sasuke, you two go on ahead back to the village. I'll catch up with you in about an hour."

Sakura had took a moment to remind Kakashi of the numerous protocols that she remembered that were being broken if they took off, but Kakashi would here none of it.

"I've been a ninja longer than you two have been alive. I've fought each of three Sannin and lived to tell others about it. I have fought Uchiha Itachi. _Twice_." At this the only other remaining Uchiha bristled visibly at the mention of his brother. "I've been in and out of every major and minor village at least three times, and I have assassinated more people than times you two have completed a mission. If I need help this close to the village, let alone the help of _you two_, I deserve to die."

He finished his rant by opening his lone uncovered eye. His blood shot coal black eye pierced two chunin standing across from him, as he began to leak a small amount of killer intent. Not enough to incite fear, but enough for them to realize and acquiesce to his authority. Deflated by their leader's lack of faith in their skills and abilities they turned and hopped off.

Kakashi sighed once more, he didn't really mean to be that blunt and up front about the gap between his skills and theirs, but he hadn't been having a good week. The Hokage had declared a personal war on Kakashi's tardiness. She was determined to annoy him with small, vague, and annoying missions like the current one he was on. His home had been the victim of an unexpected burglary. Surprisingly and quite suspect to Kakashi, the robber had known the exact location and combination to the safe which kept his precious Icha-Icha books. Thus without the smut and deceptively good story of the little orange books, his patience had been running a little low. Besides those two had been getting a little lippy lately. They needed a small reality check.

He calmed himself, taking a deep breath and mentally trying to cheer himself up. He was Hatake Kakashi, son of the White Fang. He was a feared and aloof ninja who did not lose his cool no matter what. Especially on some bullshit C-rank mission to find Konoha's most infamous missing ninja, Uzumaki Naruto. Going through the parameters he memorized earlier, he couldn't believe it. It had to be a scam. Uzumaki's exploits were numerous and each of them had a degree of difficulty he wasn't sure he could complete himself. All the more reasons, to him, for this to be another one of the Hokage's 'get Kakashi to be on time punishments.' Besides, what nuke-nin would be caught dead near his village? It made no sense to him. Giving the area another quick once over; he turned to leave.

-Back in the Village

Tsunade was a busy woman. She was the Hokage of the Village hidden in the Leaves. Widely regarded as the strongest of the five major shinobi villages. Couple that with the fact that they were facing war on the northern border, as Iwagakure had grown bolder in the recent years. They had begun attacking the small outposts in the northern area. If she was honest with herself, things didn't look good. The village was in an economic slump, the younger generation was improving greatly, but not enough to match the speed of the oncoming war, and Shizune, her assistant, had stolen her secret stash of sake once again. Mentally resigning herself to the task of knocking the giant stack of paper work down some while sober, she reached for the stamp in the first drawer; snickering to herself as she imagined the look on Kakashi's face if he knew his entire Icha-Icha collection was located just a drawer underneath it. She then remembered that Kakashi wore his trademark facemask, and that it probably wouldn't be as funny.

In a burst of chakra an ANBU was in the middle of her dull and mundane office. Watching as her leader was lost in her own world of mind numbing sobriety and paperwork. Deciding to make her presence known she cleared her throat.

"Ehem. Hokage-sama."

Without even looking up Tsunade acknowledged her shinobi's presence.

"Report."

"Mam, Uzumaki Naruto has apprehended, sealed and is awaiting trial."

"Good work. Gather the council and have him brought to the council chambers."

"Mam, I don't mean to question your authority, but are you sure that is a good idea?

"He is sealed, correct?"

"Well yes he is under very strict sealing, only enough chakra to keep his organs functioning at full capacity an-"

"Then he will be brought to the council chambers at once! I want a full squad of ANBU guarding him at all times."

"It will be done, Hokage-sama."

"Oh, and good work Yuugao."

-[Council Chambers]

Inuzuka Tsume was not a patient woman. She had a tendency to lose interest in things quickly. This council meeting for example. Gathered all around her were the most important people in Konoha and she couldn't care less. Honestly she hated a lot of these people. Specifically the head of the Uchiha clan, Itachi often drew her ire. He took too long to make decisions. He always had to measure the pros and cons of the situation. Like the night he came to the decision to tell the third Hokage of the Uchiha clan's treachery. He waited until the night before their supposed revolt would begin. Apparently he had been weighing and calculating his options for months. Not one to waste as much time the Uchiha, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately commenced the extermination of the Uchiha clan. He and Itachi went through the entire clan compound, silently and expertly slitting throats and suffocating traitors. Luckily Itachi had ruled all of the children and lower ranked shinobi as traitors, otherwise there wouldn't have been much of a clan left. It still had taken Itachi way too long to oust the actions of his previous clan members in her mind. The only solace was in the fact that even though Itachi was slow in decision making; he was many times faster than his traitor of a father.

She also couldn't help but notice that the heiress of the Hyuuga clan was absent. Her father would normally be in her place; however he was the victim of a freak heart attack and thus was hospitalized. Hyuuga Hiashi was the picture of perfect health, which made it all the weirder. Word around the council chambers was that he was poisoned. However, Tsume knew better than to trust the words of the pampered and gossip prone citizens seated around her. It was still suspect though.

The door to the council chambers opened and in came a squadron of ANBU. At this she raised one of her wild eyebrows. This was interesting. In between the ANBU was single person. He was at least six feet tall from what she could see. Long shaggy blond hair hung from his head down to the small of his back. He had a very lean build. She would almost call him lanky if she couldn't see the tightly coiled muscles under his clothing. Clad in the standard ANBU uniform of the Konoha ANBU, he was lead to the center of the room. Adorned in hand cuffs and chains, he stood silently.

Minutes later the head of the village, Senju Tsunade, took her place at the podium desk combination that sat elevated above the rest of the room. Decked out in full Hokage attire, she looked like a judge from one of those court shows that her daughter, Hana was always watching.

All the chatter around the room ceased instantly. It was evident by the look on her face that she meant business.

"Esteemed members of the council, I have gathered you here to witness the trial and examination of S-ranked criminal, Uzumaki Naruto."

The silence was deafening. Many dropped their jaws in shock. The Uzumaki Naruto? Impossible! There was no way!

"Boar." Said ANBU perked up in attention.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"Your Bingo book, please."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Tsume couldn't help but chuckle silently to herself. If anyone could say anything about Tsunade, it was that she ran a tight ship. Her ANBU operated on a strictly speak-only-when-spoken-to basis. When she received the book containing the info on all missing ninja, Tsunade began listing his exploits from the Bingo book.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Age 22

Last known location: Unknown

Last known affiliation: Konoha

Known Jutsu: Rasengan, Various Kenjutsu related Jutsu, Various wind Jutsu.

Is this correct, Uzumaki-san?"

Said Uzumaki, merely released a hollow chuckle.

"Uzumaki-san I asked you a question. I expect an answer."

The masked man looked up in the eyes of Tsunade. Even though he wore a very plan ANBU mask Tsunade knew his gaze was fierce.

"Unfortunately for you Hokage-san, I don't answer to you."

'_Yet'_ he thought to himself silently.

"Well unfortunately, Mr. Uzumaki, you are in _my_ village, _m_y council chambers, covered in _my_ chains and seals, if anything you will answer to me the questions I ask you. Or you can rot in the cell we are currently preparing for someone of your caliber."

She glared in to the slits of his mask.

"Why is his mask still on?" She looked at the lead ANBU, signified by the white haori he wore over his standard outfit.

"We were unsuccessful in every attempt to remove it Hokage-sama."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What do I pay you idiots for? Uzumaki please remove your mask."

Naruto seemed to mull it over in his head and replied with a short and uncaring "No."

The busty blond Hokage sighed. She just knew he would be difficult.

"And just why the hell not? Look, Uzumaki I'm _trying_ to be nice and give you a reason to explain why you're in my village. The least you could do is oblige me and take off your mask."

"I cannot." His apathetic attitude did not seem to be helping his case.

"Look Uzumaki I-"

"Your ANBU have been so gracious as to seal off my chakra, therefore I have no way to remove my mask. If you would like to unseal it…"

He let his sentence trail off. He knew they wouldn't unseal it just to see his face. Hell everyone knew it. Even the civilians with their limited knowledge of shinobi techniques and inner workings knew that was a bad idea. Ninja operated off of their chakra. It was their lifeblood on the battlefield and to unseal one of the most dangerous criminals in their village's existence was ludicrous. It would have been nothing short of an invitation for a massacre.

Suddenly the door of the council room slammed open. In walked an irate looking Hyuuga. Female, he idly noted; and from her graceful yet powerful strides a well-trained shinobi. Flanked by two younger looking clan members she took her seat at the edge of the shinobi side of the council. The two clan members stood stock still and kept a vigilant watch. He then focused his attention on the sitting Hyuuga. Main branch by the look of her seal-free forehead. There was a twinge of recognition somewhere in his mind. He knew this girl. No, he knew this woman. It would be unfitting to call her a girl; quite simply because of the pure unadulterated authority he could feel just rolling of this woman in waves. It was unlike the Hokage's 'respect me because I earned this position' authority. No, hers was a more of a 'respect me because I was born better than you' authority.

Her face reminded him of someone though. It was bugging him. He had a near perfect memory and to not remember someone so obviously important in the Konoha hierarchy represented a lack of knowledge to him not only as a highly ranked criminal, but as a shinobi. And all shinobi knew knowledge no matter how small was power. A lesson he thought he had learned by now. No matter, his plan would continue anyway.

So lost in his own world he hadn't been paying attention to his own trial.

"Uzumaki! I asked you a question and I expect an answer. Why are you in my Village? Surely you knew the risked of being captured. Why are you here?"

Again Tsunade was met with silence. She was losing her temper quickly. That damned mask made it impossible to read any emotions flying across his face. His posture and body language hadn't changed since he arrived shackled and chained. He just seemed incredibly bored and slightly amused. And that didn't bode well; he seemed way too comfortable to be in the situation he was in. She narrowed her eyes. He was planning something.

"Relax, couldn't this be a simple social call? Can I not want to speak to my Baa-chan who I haven't seen in," He paused and proceeded to count on one of his handcuffed hands . "What is it? About six years now? Come on you couldn't have not missed me. See I even still have this!" He pointed to a green crystal hanging off his neck.

Tsunade's breath hitched in her throat. Whatever snappy and angry comeback had died in transit to the audience of shinobi and civilian council members and clan heads. That necklace belonged to her ancestors. It was easily worth a mountain or three. And it was in the hands of Konoha's most dangerous criminal.

"Boar." She spoke quietly. "I thought he was he was relieved of everything on his person."

Boar had been a good ANBU. He was extremely loyal and loved ninjutsu like no other. Sure he had blemishes on his record like any other shinobi. But that hadn't stopped his rise and recruitment into ANBU. He was a well-respected member, and he had made many friends in his guild of killers and thieves. Friends who could not save him from the wrath of the hands down scariest woman he'd ever met. As Tsunade's full killer intent reigned down on the poor shinobi, he was sure his life flashed before his eyes. Twice.

"H-he was Hokage-sama, however like his mask it could not b-be removed." Her oppressive Aura lessened considerably and shifted to Naruto. Who had been currently observing the interaction between her and her subordinates. It was honestly quite funny.

"My patience is gone Uzumaki. I will ask you one last time. Why Are. You. Here?"

His plain masked bored into her. She could feel the intensity. Had the mask not been there, had she actually had to stare into his eyes, she might not have been able to stop the flinch. Where did this intensity come from?

"I was simply sightseeing, Hokage-san."

She knew she shouldn't have felt bad. She didn't expect an honest answer. And she knew he wasn't going to give her one. He knew that too. But why did it leave a bad taste in her mouth? Sending him to Anko was obviously the best option. She wouldn't send him to her number one interrogator, one Morino Ibiki. Ibiki specialized in torture of the mind, Anko's was one of the more physical nature. And as much as she wanted to know the reasons behind his being here, trying to pry open and terrorize the mind of a jinchuuriki was good for no one.


End file.
